Humanitarian Mine Action increases demining capacity in Morocco

U.S. Marines and Sailors with Special Purpose Marine Air-Ground Task Force-Crisis Response-Africa 19.2, Marine Forces Europe and Africa, participated in Humanitarian Mine Action with members of the Moroccan Royal Armed Forces April 1-26, 2019, at Unite de Secours et Sauvetage’s Base, Kenitra, Morocco.

The HMA program is designed to assist allied and partner countries in reducing landmines and explosives that threaten civilian population, according to the U.S. State Department website. In order to further this effort in Morocco, U.S. Marine Corps explosive ordnance disposal technicians and a U.S. Navy corpsman trained alongside the Moroccan Royal Armed Forces for four weeks, instructing their Moroccan partners on proper ordnance disposal techniques and tactical combat casualty care.

“The goal at the beginning of the course was to conduct a refresher on basic demolition practices and ordnance identification,” said U.S. Marine Sgt. James Roberts, an EOD technician with SMPAGTF-CR-AF 19.2. “We were here to instruct HMA level two, which teaches the students about fuse functioning and how to conduct reconnaissance and research on an ordnance item.”